Abraham ritter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

A. BITTER.

PURSE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME. No. 490,165. Patented Jan. 17, 1893 A TTOBNEYS (No Model.) 2.811eets-Sheet 2.

A. BITTER. PURSE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

No. 490,165. I

Patented Jan. 17

Fiat VII,

F17: VIZZ INVENTOH W/TNESSES:

A TTORNE Y3 NrrED Tarns ABRAHAM BITTER, OF NEW PURSE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,165, dated January 17, 1893. Application filed September 2, 1892. Serial No. 444,895. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM BITTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Purses and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to the gusset of a purse-its form, method of manufacture and :0 method of attachment to the cover and frame to form the purse, and I will first proceed to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and then point out in the claims the novel features.

In said drawings: Figures I and II represent in outline two forms of gussets which have been heretofore employed and Fig. III is a similar View of the ordinary cover-blank, which is also used'in my improvement, and Fig. IV the same with the welting applied.

Fig. V shows the shape of the old gusset, when its two halves are sewed together. Fig. VI illustrates the method of applying the old form of gusset to said cover. Fig. VII is an end view of a purse made with the form of Qgusset shown in Fig. I. Fig. VIII is a view in outline of myimproved gusset. Fig. IX is a similar view showing the welting applied thereto. Fig. X is a view illustrating the method of applying my improved gusset,with welting attached, to the cover. Fig. X1 is a perspective view of a purse completed with my improved gusset.

The class of purses to which my invention relates are, in their simplest form composed as arule of a cover of more or less stitt leather, a metal frame holding the clasp, and a gusset of flexible leather which connects the frame to the cover in such manner as to permit the opening and closing of the purse. The cover is stamped out in one piece of the form shown at 1 in Fig. III. The two gusset blanks to be used therewith are stamped usually out of more flexible leather than the coverin the form shown in Fig. 1. Each blank, 2, 3, forms a half of the completed gusset and the two halves are the counterparts of each other; e, if placed one flat on top of the other so that the finished side of the 50 leather would be exposed in both, their edges would correspond throughout. Each has the slim central portion 4:, the enlarged ends 5, 5, the points 6, 6, the diagonal cut edges 7, '7, and the inner edge 8, of a sharper curve than the outer edge 9.

In putting the pocket-book together the two half-gussets 2, 3 are first sewed together along the diagonal edges 7, resulting in a complete gusset of the shape shown in Fig. V. The gussetinstead of being fiat, converges inward. Meanwhile, the welting 10 has been sewed around the edge of the cover 1 on the outer or finished surface of the leather as shown in Fig. IV. In this old form, the welting cannot be sewed directly to the gusset for in doing so the outer edge of the gusset would become lengthened and the gusset consequently distorted. The welting must therefore be first sewed to the cover-an operation which is impeded in speed by the sharp corners 11 0t the cover which must be rounded by the sewer. Next the gussetis sewed to the welted cover. And in doing this in the old way, several difficulties arise. The cover is placed as shown in Fig. VI with the welting uppermost and the gusset is laid thereon with its finished surface next the welting. It will be seen that this hides the scam in the welt so that when the operator attaches the gusset by running the seam 12 along the edge, she cannot use the welt seam as a guide and an imperfect and uneven job results. Furthermore it is found in practice that the sewed gusset does not fit the cover-owing to slight differences in the sewing of the edges '7. Atrifiing error in sewing these edges makes it necessary to rip the seam and trim the gusset.-each trimming rendering the gusset more unfit for use on the cover which it was originally stamped to fit. W'hen at length the gusset is sewed on and the material turned and the frame attached, making the complete purse shown in Fig VII, there is it will be seen, a seam at 13 at eaclTen'd'ofthe'book. These seams detract from the beauty, durability and strength of the purse and with the most careful sewing and with the best material are apt to expose ragged yiews of the unfinished leather. With the form of two part gusset shown in Fig. II, in which the line of joining of the [OD sewed to its edge as shown inyFig. This parts only is shifted, substantially the same difficulties arise. The seam 13is only changed from the ends to the top of thepurse. In this form of gusset the narrow central portions at extend in the form of arms from the enlarged ends 5 and are divided by the diagonal cuts 7' which must be united to cem plete the gusset making the same conified. form of gusset shown in Fig. V that results from the two-part gusset of Fig.1. It will be seen that it is-desira'ble to make I a gusset in one piece, to sew the welting to the gusset instead of to the cover, and to do away with :all stretching and seaming 'of the gusset. To these ends I stampfiorform the gusset of one piece of flexible leather as shown in Fig. VIII. Thegusset is .made flat, witha central aperture '15 and rounded .ends :16 united .hy the narrow strips of material 114, which I will callnthe sides :of the gusset. When stamped in this form the melting is stiffens the'gusse't so that it will retain its shape in applyingitlto thecoyer. Thegusset is not,-'like tthe two part gusset,--jli able to change in shape when the welting is being applied to it, having no points or ends to' he distorted ;or expanded. iNext the gusset is laid on the cover-With the .welting between the two-and using the seam of the-welting as a guide (suc'hseam appearingas shown in Fig. X) the operator runs a seam allaround: The gusset being continuous and beingfur' ther stiffened hylthe welting, does not fbecome distorted. ilt is always sure to fit, being stamped accurately to correspond with the coverand having no element of variation introduced subsequently in the Way of sewed seams to affect its size. It exposes no seams but as shown in Fig. XI which shows the turned and completed purse presents at the ends a clear, strong and durable surface. Thesimple single gusset is also more readily fastened to the frame of the purse than the seamed gusset and whenso fastened presents a neater appearance. It furthermore requires but a single operation to stamp it out, instead of thetwo stamping operations required by theo'ld gusset, and-uses less material.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent,:

.1. Ina purse, intcnmhination with the c ver andfraine, a gusset formedof a single fiat continuous piece of .materiahhaving the end portions .16 cenneete'dihythe narrow sid s 'whenebythe single piece gusset is adapted .to

entirely surround the purse hframeshbstantially as and for the puruoselsetiiorth.

2. The .1ne t h 0 d of making purses, which consists in forming thenover and gusset, t ilat terof a singlecont inuouspieceof material,

sewing the Welling-.011tothedgehf thegusset, and then senting the weltetl gusset t0 th cover, substantiallyasset "forthl ABRAHAM BITTER.

tvitnessesz HENRY .CQMILLIGAN, IIARRY O. KNIGHT. 

